It’s a hot and sticky summer day. You are stuck at home with a broken air conditioner, sitting on your leather couch and watching old episodes of “Glee” on Hulu. What you should be doing is taking advantage of all the possibilities that Albuquerque has to offer. There are so many attractions in Albuquerque at such great prices. It’s a win/win scenario! 

The Natural History Museum and Tiguex Park

Interested in dinosaurs and space? Well, look no further because the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science will satisfy these interests. Even if you aren’t a dinosaur junkie, this museum provides endless amounts of fun for everyone. It’s a nice sized museum with very interesting exhibits such as “the Age of Volcanoes” or “the Cave Experience.” They also have a DynaTheater and planetarium to visit as well. Plus, the location is superb, with a multitude of places to go afterwards, such as Old Town Plaza, or a personal favorite: Tiguex Park.

Tiguex Park (a.k.a. Tricentennial Park) is located across the street from the natural history museum. It’s a fairly large park, with lots of opportunities for free fun. There are picnic tables, a huge jungle gym, basketball courts, and an expansive grassy field. This is a great place to enjoy a snack or to have some good old-fashioned fun.

The Natural History Museum- $7
Dynatheater IMAX Theatre- $7
The Planetarium- $7

The La Luz Trail

For you nature-lovers out there, the La Luz trail is the place to go during the summer. Located in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, this trail provides an exquisite view of Albuquerque and its beauty. The trail is an eight mile strenuous hike up to the crest, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the hike. Or if you are under time constraints just hike part of the trail and enjoy the beauty along the way. It’s great exercise and can provide you with great dining scenery. In order to start this lovely hike, you must pay a $3 parking fee, but it’s worth it. Plus, if you get tired once completing the hike, you can just hop on the tram back to the starting point. You should bring a camera to capture all the wonderful wild flowers and beautiful scenery located in Albuquerque’s backyard.

Parking- $3
One-Way Tram Ticket- $9    

The Albuquerque Biological Park

Around Central there are many opportunities to become one with nature. The Rio Grande Zoo houses a variety of animals, while the Albuquerque Aquarium offers us a glimpse under the sea. The aquarium includes access to the newly improved Rio Grande Botanic Garden. This collection of gardens begs us to ask the question “Is there anything more beautiful than beauty itself?” You can spend hours here trying to look at everything. The zoo alone will take up four to five hours and is the worth the seven dollars.

Near the zoo and the aquarium is the recently renovated Tingley Beach. This new edition has a grassy knoll, two big ponds and an even better assortment of ducks than it had before. With all these attractions, you can fish, have a picnic, and even ride a pedal boat. The nice part is that it is completely free. The aquarium, botanic garden, zoo and Tingley Beach are collectively called the Biological Park.

Recently, a train has been completed to connect all of these attractions. The price for the zoo, botanic garden, aquarium and a round trip train ride is only $12. It’s inexpensive, fun and time-consuming. But bring lots of water; the weather can get hot and dry.

The Albuquerque Aquarium and Botanic Garden- $7
The Rio Grande Zoo- $7
Tingley Beach- Free
The Train Pass Combo- $12